Topics :: Top Chef Masters

Long before Jimmy Buffett wrote "Margaritaville" about Key West, James Beard award-winning chef Norman Van Aken had already pledged allegiance to the magical little scrap of land at the end of the rainbow

Hilson has cooked on many occasions at the James Beard House in New York, and has also created special culinary offerings for such luminaries as former President George W. Bush, Barbra Streisand, the late Princess Diana, Richard Branson and Billy Joel.

It takes some serious talent to make carrots cool, but actor Reed Alexander of Nickelodeon’s "iCarly" thinks he has the juice to pull it off. And it’s all part of the 17-year-old’s plan to transform himself from tween TV star to food celebrity.

Campo Viejo, Rioja’s largest wine producer, understands that color is a fundamental tool in today’s culinary scene, not only in the nation’s premier restaurants, but also in the gastronomic revolution that is occurring in homes around the country.

Bryan Voltaggio stands in his restaurant, Volt, arms folded. He doesn’t break a smile, a frown or a sweat. It’s the same modest, soft-spoken persona that became his trademark on Season 6 of Bravo’s "Top Chef."